Footwear



Oct. 25, 1938. c vm 2,134,173

FOOTWEAR Filed April 21, 193"] I 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 25, 1938. E. CALVIN 2,134,173

FOOTWEAR Filed April 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 25, 1938 2,134,173 FOOTWEAR. Edwin Calvin, Akron, Ohio Application April 21, 1937, Serial No. 138,203

3 Claims. (01. 36-17)- UNITED star ossis This invention relates to footwear. that the invention is not limited to the specific 'Heretofore in the manufacture of footwear, form thereof shown and described. constructions have been provided which include Of the accompanying drawings: an upper With an in-sole, a mid-sole secured to Figure l is a top plan View of a mid-sole emthe upper as by McKay stitching, nailing, or cebodying the invention. 5

menting, and an out-sole secured to the mid- Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1. sole as by Goodyear stitching, nailing or cement- Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of footing, no welting, as such, being employed. The wear having the improved mid-sole applied mid-soles heretofore used have been of various thereto. l0 materials such as fiber-board, leather, rubber, etc. Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Rubber mid-soles are highly desirable for variin perspective. ous reasons. They are flexible and water-proof Figure 5 is a perspective View of completed and give cushioning qualities to the footwear, but footwear embodying the invention. heretofore, they have not been entirely satisfac- Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 4 through tory for building into footwear and for use therefootwear utilizing a prior form of rubber mid-sole 15 in. and showing the bulge inside the stitches and the Rubber being flexible and elastic has a tendwaviness of the edges of such mid-soles. ency to creep and crawl when it is attempted to Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, the

sew, nail or cement it to the upper and to form numeral l9 designates a flexible cushion-rubber a bulge inside of the stitches or nails or in the mid -sole embodying the invention. This midcemented joint; the edge of the mid-sole, which sole may be molded'and vulcanized to the shape simulates the usual welting it displaces, becomes shown with upper marginal portions formed as wavy and uneven, and although some of the bulgiat l i, i l to simulate welting. An insert is shown ness and unevenness of the mid-sole is eliminated at I2. The insert is prefera Of 1655 Width th by being flattened out when the out-sole is apthe mid-sole so as to come inside of the marginal 25 plied, this puts a strain upon the stitches or loosportions of the mid-sole whereby it will not be ens the mid-sole retained by nails or cement exposed at the edge of the sole and preferably is under the spreading action of the rubber and confined to the ball portion of the mid-sole so causes early failure of the stitches when the footthat the shank I3 is highly flexible. This insert wear is in service. These difliculties have led to may be of fibre, card-board, comparatively hard 30 extensive use of less desirable material than rubrubber or other semi-stiff flexible material. It her for mid-soles. may be applied to the top of the mid-sole as The present inventor has discovered that all of shown or to the bottom or in the body thereof these difliculties may be overcome, rendering ruband is preferably embedded and secured therein ber mid-soles capable of effective use, both in apby vulcanization (see Figure 2) during the process 35 plication in footwear and in service, by providing of forming and vulcanizing the mid-sole. It may rubber mid-soles with a stiffening insert of other also be perforated as indicated to interlock with materials of a flexible but somewhat stiffer nathe rubber of the mid-sole during vulcanization. ture. Inserts of sheet fibre, comparatively hard In application of the mid-sole to footwear, it rubber, paper-board, etc., may be used as demay be first tacked or stapled as indicated at M, 40 scribed herein to provide effective rubber mid- M to the upper l5 (see Figure 3) and then soles for footwear construction. stitched, as byMcKay stitching IE to the upper The general purpose of the invention, therefore, l5. This stitching is preferably done through is to provide a footwear construction and method the sole about the edge of the stiffening element for making the same in which soft, elastic, vul- H! (see Figure 4). Due to the presence of the 45 canized rubber mid-soles are used with which are stiffener l2, the mid-sole is easily and effectively associated inserts of more or less flexible but applied to the footwear and lies evenly and flatly somewhat stiffer materials to produce the advanagainst the bottom of the upper Without bulges tages therein which will be more particularly set in the rubber inside the McKay stitches and the forth in the succeeding paragraphs of this specimarginal portions of the mid-sole, even though 50 fication. the stiffener is not extended therein, extend even- The foregoing and other purposes of the invenly and flatly, without waviness, laterally from the tion are attained in the footwear and by the upper. Compare Figure 4 with Figure 6 showing method illustrated in the accompanying drawthe prior form of rubber mid-sole S which forms ings and described below. It is to be understood a bulge at B and a wavy edge at E, E, and which 55 when the out-sole is later applied spreads and throws an outward strain on the McKay stitches M, M.

The mid-sole may be secured to the upper by nailing or cementing and because of the invention this is more easily and effectively accomplished than heretofore.

As shown in Figure 5, after application of the mid-sole, an out-sole and a heel of leather may be applied, the out-sole being indicated at IT and the heel at l8. The out-sole may be applied by Goodyear stitching [9 through the out-sole and the marginal portions I I of the in-sole outside of the upper. The heel may be nailed onto the shoe in the usual way. An out-sole of rubber or other desired material may be applied to the mid-sole either by Goodyear or like stitching or by cementing, a cemented joint being improved with the new mid-sole by reason of the elimination of bulges and waviness preventing spreading and creeping actions tending to cause separation.

Modifications of the invention, other than those which are disclosed herein, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Footwear comprising an upper, a mid-sole and an out-sole, said mid-sole comprising a flexible, elastic, material having associated therewith a reinforcing sheet of comparatively stiff, semifiexible material centrally thereof, said mid-sole being sewn to the upper and having a marginal portion extending outwardly thereof formed on its upper surface to simulate welting and being unreinforced, and said out-sole being sewn to the mid-sole through the marginal portion of the mid-sole about the upper.

2. Footwear as set forth in claim 1, said semifiexible material being confined to the ball portion of the sole.

3. Footwear as set forth in claim 1, said semiflexible material being of such extent and so positioned as to be inside of the marginal portions of the mid-sole and said mid-sole being sewn to the upper and out-sole through said marginal portions of the sole about said material.

EDWIN CALVIN. 

